Finding Nemo

Exclusive Preview of "Aquaman #12"

"Nemo dat", as the Latin adage goes, "quod non habet". "No one gifts what they do not own". As the New 52 Aquaman rounds out its first year, Geoff Johns underlines his groundbreaking "ownership" of the character, one that has seen Aquaman well-defined and relatable for perhaps the first time in recent memory.

What must it have been like for Geoff Johns sketching his outline for Aquaman in the days before the New 52? It’s hard to put you finger on what classic Aquaman tales Geoff could have delved into, since none really stand out. The Latin phrase, “nemo dat, quod non habet” certainly comes to mind. The idea that you can give away what you do not already possess. And with Aquaman, no matter how much of a classic and how resilient the character has proven to be, nothing stands out about the character save for a core personality.

Geoff’s certainly “gifted” a fully realized Aquaman to us. One motivated by overcoming the aggressive personality he’s demonstrated in the past, one who’s more moody and more meditative. An Aquaman who’s achieved a certain kind of balance. Walking into the character and finding an open book, finding “no one” there in the canon to begin with, has certainly fired Geoff’s creativity. As a result of “finding nemo”, Geoff’s crafted a careful, poignant and above all beautiful Aquaman.

One who now finds himself threatened by the associative disorder of finding himself in old situations with the secret band of heroes called The Others. And now, bitterly so, old personality traits have began to reemerge. Come October, after DC’s Zero Month, will Aquaman again find that inner peace he’s so long fought for?